CPJ Impact

News from the Committee to Protect Journalists, July 2011

Still
struggling for a free Cuban press

As Cuba implements economic reforms and prepares to
introduce high-speed Internet, freedom of expression continues to be met with a
policy of repression that stifles the free flow of information, according to a
new report by CPJ.

The report examines government activities in March and
April 2011, a time when sensitive political milestones on the island coincided
with 50 instances of independent journalists' repression. In the report, CPJ
makes recommendations
to the Cuban government, the European Union, the United Nations, the
Organization of American States, the U.S. government, and the technology and
blogging communities.

With the introduction of Google +, CPJ Internet and
Advocacy Coordinator Danny O'Brien engaged in a thorough
assessment of the pros and cons for journalists gathering sensitive
information from contacts who must be protected. As someone who intervenes when
journalists' data is at risk or electronic censorship needs to be undone,
O'Brien quickly recognizes when the risk line has been crossed. "If you really
do believe yourself to be at risk of surveillance or concerned about the
seizure of your computer or censorship of your online content, you should
strongly consider not using social networks at all,"he writes in a follow-up post to his initial assessment, which explores security features on
Facebook as well. Online security will be part of CPJ's revised safety handbook for journalists, which will be issued in 2012.

Criminal defamation comeback in Ecuador

An editor and three executives from the Ecuadoran news
daily El Universo were sentenced to three years in prison and $40
million in fines in July for defaming President Rafael Correa. CPJ had
expressed concern about the case in a letter to Correa in April and immediately
weighed
in on the extraordinary sentence, seeking to shed light on the
government's increasingly repressive anti-press tactics. Numerous press freedom
groups have expressed outrage at the decision and the Organization of America
States special
rapporteur has also criticized the sentence. CPJ
research shows that Ecuador's outdated criminal defamation provisions
have been systematically used to punish critical journalists. In June, Senior
Americas Program Coordinator Carlos Lauría took part in a roundtable
discussion at the Inter-American Dialogue, which addressed the
situation in Ecuador, among other issues. The discussion can be heard here.

China's disastrous censorship

Online and off, China continues its repression of the
press. Following a crackdown
on journalists, bloggers, and writers, along with the virtual silence in the
media regarding these developments, Chinese authorities have obstructed
reporting on a deadly train wreck on July 23. Additionally, reports
that the China Economic Times has closed
its investigative news unit are a concerning sign that pressure is mounting on
hard-hitting media outlets in the country. Also in July, independent magazine Caixinclaimed
that the e-mail account of a reporter exposing child trafficking in China had
been hacked.

Despite these setbacks, Chinese artist and commentator Ai
Weiwei was freed
on June 22 following an 81-day detention that was denounced by intellectuals,
human rights and press freedom groups, and ultimately governments worldwide.
The Chinese government has denied that international pressure played a role.
Still, the petition website Change.org suffered a cyber-attack
launched from within China after posting a call for the artist's release.

In April, the EU's foreign policy chief criticized
the Chinese crackdown and the U.S. protested
journalists' detentions. In June, CPJ Senior Asia Program Researcher Madeline
Earp spoke
alongside journalists and academics on media freedom and
challenges faced by international broadcasters
in China at a seminar co-hosted by the BBC Chinese service and the British
think-tank Chatham House. The speech,
which was broadcast on the BBC Chinese website, is part of CPJ's ongoing Chinese-language outreach as we assess the ever-evolving challenges reporters face on the ground in China.

Terrorizing 'terrorist' journalists

Ethiopia, Africa's second leading jailer of
journalists and a notorious Internet
censor, is engaged in a sustained campaign to detain and prosecute
those who report critically on issues deemed sensitive by the government. The
country has also begun to
apply its anti-terrorism law to journalists, accusing
an editor and columnist of forming part of a terrorist plot.

The July detention, without charge, of two Swedish
journalists who were reporting on armed separatists in an oil-rich
province of eastern Ethiopia, has helped put a spotlight on the country's
dismal press freedom record. In fact, even when under intense
scrutiny from the United Nations' Human Rights Committee regarding
the country's anti-terrorism law, government representatives simply responded
with bold contradictions of the facts.

But even in cases of vague or trumped-up charges, there is
reason to hope. After 15 months of detention, Ethiopia released
two journalists on bail. CPJ has questioned
the validity of their charges in light of the Ethiopian government's documented
practice of using bogus criminal charges to silence
critical journalists. And in another part of the world, a
BBC reporter in Tajikistan, detained initially on extremism charges
in June, was also granted restricted freedom.

A
silencing policy across the Middle East

As journalists in Tunisia and Egypt strive to establish a
solid framework for press freedom, a setback has materialized with the
reinstatement of Egypt's information ministry, a move decried
by CPJ.

Meanwhile, in Bahrain,
Iran, Jordan, and Syria, critical and independent journalism continues to be
treated as a threat. CPJ recently called
on Bahrain to end harassment and contrived legal proceedings against
critical journalists. Since February, government supporters have intimidated,
interrogated, smeared in government-owned and -aligned publications, and
harassed and sued journalists.

In July, Syria
detained a local journalist and expelled an international reporter, while
reporters covering protests in Jordan had to endure beatings.
Iran continues to arbitrarily detain, imprison,
and abuse
journalists in custody. Mohammad
Davari, a recipient of CPJ's International Press Freedom Award in
2010, had one year added to a five-year sentence he is currently serving. The
reason? Reportedly, a $5,000 fine imposed on the journalist in 2007 was not
paid. Iran, together with China, is the world's leading jailer of journalists,
according to CPJ's 2010 census.

Resisting attacks in Pakistan

Since meeting
with President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Rehman Malik on World
Press Freedom Day in May this year, and obtaining a pledge for justice, CPJ
Asia Program Coordinator Bob Dietz has urged Pakistani journalists to take
immediate measures to protect themselves. A first
step has been taken: In July, the International Federation of
Journalists and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists released
a group of posters and brochures in Urdu and English for newsrooms.

Such measures come on the heels of U.S. government
allegations that Pakistan's intelligence service ordered the
killing of journalist Saleem Shahzad, a suspicion strongly thought
to be true by many Pakistani journalists. The allegation was denounced
by Pakistan. CPJ has demanded
an explanation of the Inter-Services Intelligence's role and will continue to
seek justice for the 15
cases of journalists apparently targeted for their journalism in
Pakistan since the 2002 killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel
Pearl.

Upcoming events

Cuba: In September, CPJ will host a discussion based on
its findings in "After the Black Spring: Cuba's New Repression," a CPJ special
report assessing the state of free expression on the island. Check out our events section in
August for details.

Donate
to the Steiger Fellowship

CPJ has recently launched the Paul E. Steiger Fellowship
in 2012. The Steiger Fellow will receive a modest stipend to work at our New
York headquarters. Our intention is to increase CPJ's research capacity and,
more important, to help train a young journalist in CPJ's reporting methodology
and professional ethics. Preference will be given to international candidates
returning to work in their home countries. CPJ hopes that the Steiger Fellows
will go on to become leaders in journalism and the global press freedom
movement.

So far, we have raised $75,000 of our $100,000 goal to
fund the program. Please click
here to donate and add "Steiger Fellow" in the notes section.